When Love Is The Only Weapon You've Got
by scribbles of madness
Summary: When Tenten is determined to confess, there is NO stopping her.


When Love Is The Only Weapon You've Got

A NejiTen fanfiction

By screwitall

Summary: When Tenten is determined to confess, there is NO stopping her.

**A/N: I haven't written a NejiTen in so long! They're such a lovable pairing; can you believe there's actually an **_**anti**_** group for them? I saw one. I was just informed I have Japanese cousins O.o I was like O.o My dad told me about them and when we met them, he was going all, "My daughter here writes Naruto fanfictions." I take pride as a Naruto fanfic writer, but please. There are far more about me than huddling up to my laptop late at night and writing stories with characters that are made by someone way, way better than me. That hurts, you know.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Katy Perry's lyrics either. Someone yelled at me when I told her I replaced Evanescence as my favourite artist/s with Katy Perry XD

Tenten is a very outspoken woman.

She isn't afraid of telling the truth about herself. She is very much like Ino, only without the extra, unnecessary gibberish. She's very confident in herself without coming off as conceited or too much of herself.

Tenten always knows exactly what she wants.

...that is, until a certain shinobi by the name of Hyuuga Neji caught her eye.

When Tenten first realized she had a _slight _crush on the genius, immediate thoughts of denial plagued her until Common Sense and Hormones joined forces and decided to make her change her mind by turning the _slight _crush into an über-crush, one so bad it actually distracted her during training and almost made her miss her target that could've been fatal for the fact that it so closely _tainted _her perfect aim record.

That was the time Tenten came to a decision: she would tell Neji what she felt about him no matter what.

"Hey, Neji," she cheerfully called out to him one Friday afternoon, just after their spar. "I want to tell you something."

She walked over to him, her confidence soaring with every step she took, when Neji gazed upon her plain, unremarkable brown orbs.

"I—uh, I wanted t-to," she stammered, forgetting everything she wanted to tell him at the sight of Neji's profound, lavender-tinted eyes.

The pride of the Hyuuga clan only continued to look at her, beckoning her to say something.

_What are you DOING, Tenten? He's waiting for you! What are you doing? Say something, you idiot! 'I really, REALLY like you!'_

"There's this _awesome_ new pair of pants in Sakura's closet and I wanted to borrow them, do you think I should?" she blurted out.

_I suck ASS. Why in Davy Jones did I tell him THAT?_

"I'm sure you could figure that out on your own," Neji replied, not minding her completely inane, not to mention random, statement. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, tomorrow," she said, waving him goodbye.

When his back was turned, Tenten ran to the nearest tree in sight and began pounding her head repeatedly against it.

The next morning, Tenten planned to take things a different way. She asked Neji to meet her for breakfast right before their scheduled training session. Her objective was to _slightly _intensify her relationship with Neji, from a trusted friend and training partner to being someone he'll feel really comfortable with, without being too obvious. And when they're finally close enough, she'll drop that bombshell!

"Good morning," her crush politely greeted, taking a seat beside her.

"Morning!" she chirped.

"You usually don't schedule breakfast for both of us," Neji observed.

"Yeah, well, we're good friends and I was thinking that since _we're good friends_, we can get used to having meals together, _like ALL GOOD FRIENDS_," Tenten said, grinning at him the whole time.

Neji seemed to be hesitant of her answer but shrugged it off and started slicing off a piece of bagel Tenten prepared.

She noticed his uncertainty before he ate and groaned inwardly at her apparent failure. _Way to be vague, Tenten. Way to be vague._

She tried another approach the next day, the tactic Ino guaranteed would make your crush spontaneously like you back.

"I LOVE HYUUGA NEJI!" she screamed to randoms on the street. "SPREAD THE WORD! HE IS"—twitch, twitch, _I am going to KILL Ino for this_—",LIKE, THE HOTTEST NINJA EVER IN FOREVER! I LOVE NEJI! HE'S SO COOL!"

"Tenten?"

"Someone _bribed_ me to do it, Neji!" she flung herself at the person who called her name, (horribly) pretending to weep.

"Why are you confessing your eternal love for Neji on the street?" Lee asked, his innocent face unsullied from any trace of cruel amusement and sadistic pleasure.

Tenten unlatched herself from the boy's grasp. "I don't love Neji, okay?"

"Fear not, Tenten!" Lee cried, going into one of his Sakura/Gai-inspired speeches. "Love is nothing to be ashamed of! It is a splendid gift, given to us to highlight the very essence of our youth! And I see that Cupid has struck his arrow and Neji is the prince who—"

"Okay, I get it," Tenten interrupted, knowing this was Lee's gentlest way of saying Neji turns her on. "I want to tell Neji I like him, _dammit, I don't love him Lee! _I want to tell him but—"

Lee cut her off. "Don't worry, Tenten! I'll help you get Neji to like you! Rejection is merely an obstacle thrown in our way and with the right courage and effort, together we can—"

"I'm not afraid of being rejected!" Tenten exclaimed. "Everything I do just doesn't work and—oh my God, you're right. Lee...what if he _does _reject me? I've been so caught up in my own stupid plans of confessing that I didn't even think about what will happen after that!"

Gai's favourite student gave her the Good Guy Pose. "We'll work together as a team, all right?"

Tenten grinned, relieved she had one guy having her back. "Thanks."

"Perhaps the self-imposed rule trick will tug at his heartstrings," Lee suggested. "Neji would like someone who can keep up with him. You should make a vow to run one hundred laps around the village! Or five hundred sit-ups! You could come with me and Gai-sensei on our many demanding yet fulfilling missions!"

"B-But doesn't the many hours we've trained together already proves that I could keep up with him?" Tenten asked, paling at the thought of being alone with her maniac sensei and teammate.

"You never win," Lee pointed out. "He might think you are weak."

Tenten silently weighed the pros and cons of this insane but rather promising technique. _Well, for one, I don't want to make Neji thinks I've lost my mind and decided to join Gai-sensei's fanclub or anything. And I certainly don't want to do all those exercises! But then at least he wouldn't think I'm a _lesser being _because of my lack of skill. And that's what matters, right?_

She sighed, defeated. "Okay, fine. I'll do this self-imposed rule whatever."

Come Monday, Neji discovered Tenten doing crunches in the middle of the training ground. Dark circles are under her eyes and she looked awfully tired.

"Tenten. What are you doing?" he asked, sounding unimpressed.

She gave him a wan smile. "Hey, there! Good morning! I was up all night doing crunches! Just a few hundred more and I will have finished the five thousand!"

"And why would you do that?"

"Because...don't you think I'm strong?" Tenten blinked.

"Well, you're strong but _this _is not helping," Neji reprimanded her. "Staying up all night to accomplish a fruitless and useless task. If an enemy attacks, you'll be slow and be an easy prey. Lee told you to do this, didn't he? You really should know better."

Neji left, which meant he's cancelling out training today and giving her the whole day off to rest. Seconds later, Lee emerged from the bushes.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

Tenten sent off a glare. "He thinks I'm dumb."

Wandering aimlessly around town, Tenten was feeling distraught. She's frustrated how all her plans of confessing are going nowhere. Sighing dejectedly, she changed her direction and walked to the bridge where Team Seven usually meet up.

"Sakura," Tenten called.

Tsunade's apprentice looked behind her and grinned when she saw Tenten. "Tenten-san!"

"Just a minute, guys," she told the two boys waiting for Kakashi with her.

"I need your help," Tenten said to Sakura. "You're the only one who knows how I'm feeling right now."

Sakura stared at her, horrified, before leaning towards her and whispered, "You have a crush on your sensei, too?"

"Wha-_what?_"

Sakura leaned closer. "I know liking an older guy is normal but I'm worried for you. Gai-sensei, while really good and...enthusiastic, he is _not _your type."

Tenten stared back, thinking if the girl in front of her was totally screwed up. "Sakura. I _did not, do not_ and _will never_ have a crush on Gai-sensei."

"Oh. That's good," Sakura replied in her normal voice, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, I need you to help me," Tenten said. "I know this sounds really embarrassing but...I have a crush on someone."

Sakura put on a look of interest. "Really?"

Tenten nodded, her face reddening furiously.

"Is it Sasuke-kun?"

"No. He's cute and all but his face gets kind of boring after a while," the weapons mistress said offhandedly.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her as she gave another name. "Naruto?"

"Taken."

"Oh, right, Hinata called dibs on that one. Is it _Lee-san_?"

Tenten pulled Sakura's hair. "We've _talked _about this."

Sakura giggled. "Neji-san?"

Tenten looked down as Sakura waited for her answer. When the older girl was silent for several seconds, realization dawned on Sakura.

"Oh. Oh! _Oh. _N-Neji-san? You like Neji?" Sakura said excitedly. "Oh my God, that's awesome! You finally like him!"

"Yeah, well."

"This is great!" Sakura squealed. "You guys totally look good together! Oh my God, I can't wait to tell everyone!"

Tenten grabbed her arm. "Hold your horses, _girlie_. No one and I mean, _no one _will know."

"Aw," Sakura pouted. "You're not fun, Tenten-san."

"I know what you did the night Sasuke left and I was wondering if I could get any advice," Tenten mumbled.

"Alright, so we're dealing with guys of the same kind, so this would be pretty easy," Sakura said, immediately launching into her matchmaker mode. "Guys like Sasuke-kun and Neji don't talk much but they're really good listeners. So it's a good thing you started making a move 'cause we have to do things ourselves around them. We actually have to be the men in our relationship."

By this time, Tenten had started taking down notes.

"When I confessed to Sasuke-kun, I knew he was really listening because he could've totally ignored me and let me scream by myself but he stayed. And also, he was acting all cold towards me before I told him everything but he thanked me before he left—"

"And then he knocked you out. _Wow, _Sakura, I could totally feel the burning passion and romance _that_ created," Tenten sarcastically remarked.

"Hey, who's the wimp who can't say the three words, eight letters? _You _are," Sakura snapped. "_Anyway_, before you so rudely interrupted me, that's all you need to do. Get him to listen. The words 'I love you' are incredibly difficult to utter when it's the real deal and not just some shallow crush but sometimes, it's the only weapon you've got."

Tenten gazed at her profoundly. "And in your case?"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who was being yelled at by Naruto, behind her before smiling, "I guess I didn't have enough ammo."

The two kunoichi stood there for a while before Tenten reached over and hugged Sakura. "Thanks, Sakura. I really appreciate the help."

"Sure. Good luck," Sakura said before walking back to Naruto and Sasuke. "You'll need it."

Tenten headed for the Hyuuga compound, inspired by Sakura's hopeful words when Hyuuga Hiashi's face took over her head.

_Wait a minute, I'm not _that _desperate._

She turned around, thinking if she should train by herself or go home to rest up. Staying up all night doing crunches wasn't the best advice she received and following it certainly wasn't the smartest thing she had ever done.

"Tenten! Hey, Tenten!" Lee's familiar voice filled her ears.

"What is it, Lee? And no more of your dumb advice."

Lee jogged over to her. "You and Neji have a mission. Tsunade-sama told Neji about the mission already. He's waiting for you at the village gates."

"But...but didn't he tell me to rest up?" Tenten said, not quite feeling the mood to see Neji after what he told her earlier. "Take my place!"

"No."

"Thanks, L—_what?_"

Lee shook his head. "I shall never steal a moment between you two."

"MOMENT?"

"Yes."

Tenten grabbed Lee by his collar. It took a while because Lee's green jumpsuit was so tight; it's like it's actually his skin. "Listen, you! You can't—"

"Tenten."

"Aw, _now what?_" she whirled around and saw Neji impatiently looking at her.

"We're supposed to go on a mission, remember?" he replied.

Silence.

Neji continued, "If you're feeling exhausted from last night's activities—" here, Tenten actually cringed from realizing how else it could mean—", then I'm sorry but it's your fault. Now, we're being sent on an ambush mission and I expect you to do your best, like you'd always be on our other missions. Something is very wrong with you nowadays. I wish you'd revert back to your old self. You're being someone who isn't my type."

Inside, Tenten was fuming. She didn't understand why this was happening to her. It didn't make any sense! Is liking someone of higher social class a bad thing? All she wanted is to inform him of her crush on him; she wasn't even daydreaming of marrying the guy, for crying out loud! Did she do some kind of misdeed in the past life? Or had her infatuation with Neji somehow managed to automatically link her with his bleak and dreary fate?

_All right, Tenten. Don't lose it. He's just some unknowing, unfeeling guy, that's all. He could actually be a nice guy. It's just that he's...unfeeling._

"We aren't compatible anymore. If you wish to train with someone such as myself, you should give up. You're starting to become a lesser being.

_Oh, to hell with it._

"Hyuuga Neji!" she yelled, startling him. "You passive, arrogant, unbearable prick! I've had one hell of a day and I can't say much for last night either! I've been trying to—"

"Shall we get going now? We don't really need to make such a public spectacle of ourselves, now, do we?"

_AW, HELL NO._

"I love you, Neji," she hissed. "I've been trying to get it through your Neanderthal-thick neck that I love you and you really suck about it, you know that?"

Neji was surprised but, as always, was never at a loss for words. "Really now?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, then, I suppose you'd want to go out with me, hmm?"

"Damn straight!"

"Does 7 pm tonight sound right? I'll pick you up."

"Well, joy to the world!"

Neji lingered for a while, then smirked, walking away and completely ignoring the mission they're supposed to be having. Tenten, meanwhile, was still in her foul mood. Then it dawned on her.

Trembling, she turned to Lee, who was just being a patient observer. "Please tell me I didn't just do that."

"You mean, screamed out your confession, verbally attacked him and agreed to a date?" Lee replied. "Yes, you did just do that."

Tenten was still thinking about what she had done. Then she caught sight of Sakura convincing Sasuke to check out a new cafe with her, with Sasuke politely yet still harshly giving her a firm 'no'. Silently saying goodbye to seventeen years of being single, she turned to Lee, feeling nothing for appreciation for what he had done.

"Hey, Lee. I know someone who would really need your expertise in this department."

_I'm going down in flames for you_

_Baby, you are the weapon I choose_

_These wounds are self-inflicted_

_One more thing I'm addicted to_

-Self-Inflicted, Katy Perry

**A/N: Because Lee makes SUCH an amazing matchmaker :D**

**Was it too long? FOURTEEN PAGES. Usually my oneshots are twelve or less. Reviews, please :) Oh and schools started where I live. AHHH. That means the sky has fallen and I wouldn't be able to write stories as fast as before. Because, you know...I'm not allowed to use Internet (OR MY LAPTOP) on weekdays. YES, I AM THAT LAME. My mom has no mercy.**


End file.
